First Appointment

If you do not reach Dr. McMahon directly when you telephone for an appointment, you can leave a message on her answering machine. All messages are confidential and Dr. McMahon retrieves her own messages. On weekdays, she typically returns calls the same day. On weekends or if you telephone later on a weekday evening, she may return your call the following weekday if you do not tell her your call is urgent.

If you leave Dr. McMahon a message, it is helpful if you leave her a few times when you will be available to talk with her and the telephone number(s) at which you can be reached. This allows you to choose the best time to talk. Dr. McMahon will make every effort to return your call when you indicate.

Dr. McMahon will be available to talk with you for a few minutes prior to making your first appointment. This gives you the opportunity to discuss the reasons for your call and to ask Dr. McMahon any questions you might have about her practice or approach to counseling. She will discuss fees and your payment plan. However, if you simply wish to meet with Dr. McMahon and not discuss over the telephone what is bringing you to contact her, you can limit the conversation.

Office number for Chicago and Schaumburg: 847.570.0817 24 hour access

Professional Credentials and Activities

• Obtained a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology
  
• Licensed in Illinois as a Clinical Psychologist
  
• Pursues continuing education on a wide variety of subjects each year through weekly study group participation and conference attendance
  
• Trained and supervised predoctoral students studying Clinical Psychology
• Taught psychology classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels
• Maintains memberships in the American Psychological Association (APA), Illinois Psychological Association (IPA), and the Chicago Association for Psychoanalytic Psychology (CAPP)
• CAPP President 2006-2007; previously CAPP Treasurer; currently Chairperson of various CAPP committees
  
• Serves as CAPP Liaison to IPA
  

Treatment Issues

• Academic difficulties, including stress involving time management, test taking, choosing a major field of study/career
• Adoption issues influencing adults and adolescents
• Bicultural issues
• Coping with medical conditions or illnesses
• Cultural diversity, acculturation and identity issues experienced by U.S. born citizens and international residents
• Eating issues involving bulimia and restriction
• Emotional issues such as depression, anxiety or anger management
• Employment indecision or conflict
• Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual issues
• Grief and mourning responses to losses involving jobs, careers, relationships with people or pets
• Midlife transitions: launching adolescents from the family, entering the job market, changing career course, returning to school or starting training programs
• Relationship issues: premarital/marital/partnership, separation/divorce, bicultural relationships, intimacy issues, communication difficulties
• Self-esteem issues
• Sexual abuse sequelae
• Sexual identity and relationships
• Stress management
• Substance use (alcohol, recreational or prescription drugs) that is a secondary issue; ACOA issues

Fees and Insurance Reimbursements

Engaging in psychotherapy is a time and financial commitment. In committing to psychotherapy, you ultimately accept financial responsibility for all services provided to you by Dr. McMahon in the course of your work with her. That is, your treatment relationship with Dr. McMahon is separate from your relationship with your insurance company. However, because clients often rely upon medical insurance to help pay for services, Dr. McMahon works with PPO, POS, and Indemnity plans issued by many insurers.

Dr. McMahon is not an employee of any insurance company, but she is a panel provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO/POS and Motorola-HAP policies. She has also worked with a number of out-of-state Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and POS policies. She will accept assignment from these insurance companies as long as the insurer contract fees are adequate and claims are paid in a timely manner.

However, Dr. McMahon has worked with clients who have PPO policies with many companies including (but not limited to) PHCS, APS, Humana, Cigna, Aetna, Principal, Guardian, WEA, and Value Options. As long as your policy includes counseling benefits, her services are typically covered on an "out of network" basis with these insurers because of her doctoral credentials. She will support your claims with your insurer by providing monthly statements to you. Should questions or problems arise, within a reasonable frequency she will telephone or write your insurer on your behalf to support your claims for reimbursement.

Because Dr. McMahon considers client privacy to be critical, she will bill and consult with insurers herself when necessary. Information about you or your treatment that may be requested by insurance companies can be discussed before release at your request.

It is important to note that Dr. McMahon is not a Medicaid or HMO provider for any insurer.

Clients typically pay either insurance copayments or the entire fee at each session. She accepts payment for sessions in the form of cash or bank check.

If you do not have insurance - or have questions about using your insurance - Dr. McMahon will discuss options with you.

Continuing Education

Dr. McMahon has continued her education following completion of her doctorate in psychology. Each year she attends conferences that focus upon a variety of issues and client needs. In addition, she has attended a weekly study group lead by master analysts and clinicians for nine months of each year since 1995. In these ways she remains focused upon improving her counseling skills for each of her clients.

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